[MSTG] Use MicroStrategy [For Users]

Use MicroStrategy (for Users)

This document explains the essentials of MicroStrategy web. It will be useful to understand the following terms. For better understanding, lets consider a report which displays revenue for all the countries in one region (North America).

Attribute : The level at which the report is displayed. In our example, Country and Region are the attributes.

Metric : Business values or measures. In our example, Revenue is the Metric.

Filter : Restricts the data or information. In our example, looking at only on region is a filter.

Prompt : Similar to filter, but allows the user to define the filter before executing the report.

Report : Information. Combination of the above defined objects, typically makes a report.

Dashboard : Combination of a few reports.

MicroStrategy Web basics [Based on your MicroStrategy version, the page might look little different, but should be easily understandable]

The access MicroStrategy through you browser, the following are required - URL and account details (User name and Password). Once this information is available, access the URL will provide a login page.

Enter your credentials [Depending on your setup, login in page might not display if Windows or single sing-on is used]

Once logged in, all the projects that can be accessed by the User will be displayed. Clicking on the project name (or folder) will let a user access the content of the project.

In every project, the default landing page will have three main folders - "Shared Reports", "My Reports" & "History List".

Shared Reports: This folder contains reports shared across all the users who can access the project.

My Reports: This folder contains reports created by the "user" (who logged in) and can not shared with anyone else.

History List: This folder is similar to an email inbox. Any subscribed reports will be saved here.

Executing a pre-canned report :

Click on "Shared Reports" and then click on the required report (might be in a folder as well). For instance, lets execute the the report "Business Unit Forecasting".

This report has a prompt on "Business Unit" and will prompt the user to select the Business Unit. Moving the "names" from left box to right box will define the selection.

After after the prompt(s), click on the "Run Report" button at the end of the page.
[Note: based on the number of prompts, you might require to click on "Next" to select the next prompt].

This is it, your report is ready with results.

There are many features with in the report. You can move the columns, sort the columns and many more. There is a small tool bar on top of the report which has shortcuts for export, re-run, save, switch to graph/grid and so on. It is easy to explore.

Also, a few short cuts are available at the top of the page which can be used to navigate to "Shared Report", "History List" and so on. The image highlights the report tool bar and the links.

Creating a report

It is very important to define what report we wanted to create. And then understanding (at a very high level), what type of object that would be (attribute, metric or filter). Lets create a report which displays actual amount for all the Business Units in the last one year. In this case, Business Unit will be an attribute, actual amount is a metric and "last one year" will be a filter.

To create a report, click on "Create Report" available on the top (in the highlighted area of the above image).

Select blank report and the next page will be the report editor (or the design view of a report).

To the left of the report, there is a window displayed as "All Object" and will displays folder and object names below.

This will let us select the objects required. Refer the below image.

Click on the folder "Schema Objects" then "Attributes" OR click on the shortcut "Attributes". Drag the required attribute into the report. Similarly select the required metrics and filters.

[Note : To go back, there is small icon. Refers the highlighted areas in the below image].

After selecting all the required objects, simply click on "Run Report" at the bottom of the page. Users can also create filters on a fly.